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Listed under:  Science  >  Life  >  Ecosystems  >  Biodiversity
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Understanding weeds: life cycle

Weeds compete with native plants in our natural environments, and can dominate both natural ecosystems and areas of agricultural production. This competition limits biodiversity, as well as the economic potential for farmers. This activity will look closely at three different weed forms and children will learn about their ...

Online

Creating a sensory garden

A sensory garden is a garden that engages all the senses: touch, smell, hearing, sight and even taste. Sensory gardens create a rich sensory experience as users directly and indirectly interact with the plants and the space. In addition to providing tips for creating a sensory garden and the best types of plants to choose, ...

Online

Schoolyard biodiversity detectives

Collect data on the biodiversity in garden beds around your school to measure the biodiversity (that is the different types of plants and animals). Explore ways to represent and present data. This lesson was devised by Linda McIver, Australian Data Science Education Institute.

Online

Animal Health: the science of healthy animals

This study guide considers the science behind breeding, genetics, health and animal welfare in the cattle and sheep industries - keeping animals free of disease and parasites, improving biodiversity and protecting against feral animals. A range of articles and student activities explores how farmers and scientists are working ...

Interactive

Waste and materials – sustainability action process (Years 7–10)

This resource guides students through an extended school-based or local investigation focussed on waste and materials using the five-step sustainability action process. The resource supports the investigation of a real-world issue or problem. Students develop and implement a chosen sustainability action and then evaluate ...

Audio

Malaria: affects animals as well as humans

This program is an excellent example of the latest research into one of the world's most deadly disease. Humans are infected by five out of the two hundred species of malaria parasite. But birds, bats, lizards and antelopes are also hosts for malaria parasites. Each species of malaria has a different life cycle and life ...

Interactive

Sites2See: Insects and Spiders

This page links to a range of materials from the Australian Museums' Bugwise program, with additional materials and activities, including a resource about invertebrates in freshwater.

Video

Ancient DNA

This 9 minute video segment from Catalyst explains the role of Australian Centre for Ancient DNA.It is an internationally recognised research centre for the study of minute traces of preserved genetic material - species studied date from a million years ago to more modern day mysteries... from mammoths to the Tassie devil, ...

Video

Frogman

This 5 minute video segment from Catalyst shows a field trip with Dr Conrad Hoskin who has been scouring the tropical rainforests of north Queensland for frogs. He explains his research and the links between classification or taxonomy and evolution.

Interactive

Biodiversity – sustainability action process (Years 7–10)

This biodiversity learning resource guides students through an extended school based investigation. Students develop and implement a chosen sustainability action and then evaluate and reflect on their success and their learning.

Interactive

Biodiversity – sustainability action process (Years 3–6)

This biodiversity learning resource guides students through an extended school based investigation. Students develop and implement a chosen sustainability action and then evaluate and reflect on their success and their learning.

Interactive

Laptop wrap: Fossilisation

A webpage with a focus on the process of fossilisation that helps explain why it occurs so rarely.

Audio

Conserving seeds of agricultural crops

This radio interview discusses how Global Crop Diversity Trust is trying to conserve the biodiversity of the world's agricultural crops. A network of seed banks is being developed, together with a backup in a mountain in Norway. Just 10 or 12 crops dominate human nutrition. And there's turnover in varieties as crops are ...

Video

Unlocking the key to why chillies are hot

Have you ever eaten hot chilli and wondered why your mouth feels like it's on fire? Watch this clip to find out all about the science of chillies, including what makes them hot, why they are hot and why they cause so much pain when we eat them.

Video

Landline: Feeding soils to grow hungry crops

How do today's farmers improve their crop yields? One school of thought is to go high-tech and use agricultural technologies designed to improve efficiencies and yields. See the role that soil condition plays in gaining those high yields.

Video

Catalyst: Cambrian fossils on Kangaroo Island

All fossils provide interesting clues to what life on Earth was once like, but there is something quite unique about the fossils found at Emu Bay on Kangaroo Island, South Australia. Watch this clip to find out why.

Video

Understanding the causes of climate change

Did you know that climate change is not a recent phenomenon? In the past, natural events led to changes in the climate. Although natural events still affect climate, they're not enough to explain the big changes we've been seeing in the last 150 years. What changes on earth can account for such dramatic changes to our climate? ...

Video

Stateline: Proposed coal mine raises environmental issues

Explore the possible benefits and impacts to the environment and community of a proposed new coal mine, called the Wallarah 2 Coal Project. In this clip from late June 2013, find out some viewpoints that landowners, community members, mine representatives and politicians present about the proposed underground mine.

Video

Catalyst: E-waste, recycling, and sustainability

What happens to electronic waste (e-waste)? Watch this clip about the physics of recycling to find out the way that useful materials are captured from waste at a local materials recovery facility. Presenter Tanya Ha investigates e-waste, the products it comes from, and the sustainability challenges it poses.

Online

Activity: biodiversity is more than the sum

This is a web resource that provides a teacher guide for student activities about biodiversity. The teacher guide provides lesson plans for the activities involving research, presentation of findings and peer assessment, and includes background information about biodiversity as well as a list of suggested research topics. ...